The 2024 summer transfer window was one to forget for Newcastle United.
The Magpies barely strengthened their squad, with no major players arriving at St James’ Park.
The most expensive Newcastle signing was Odysseas Vlachodimos, who arrived for £20million. However, that was merely done for PSR reasons.
Newcastle United also bought Will Osula, who arrived as a project player. There were also deals for Lloyd Kelly, who is set to be sold to Juventus this summer, and John Ruddy, who joined as a backup goalkeeper.
However, Toon officials did consider someone else before striking a deal for Ruddy.
Newcastle United considered Tim Krul deal
That is according to the Athletic, who report that the idea of Newcastle United re-signing Tim Krul was ‘floated’ back in the spring of 2024.
At the time, there was still a chance that Eddie Howe’s side would qualify for Europe. That is why Krul was considered as a backup goalkeeper option, as he is a homegrown player who was trained by Newcastle United.
Therefore, Krul would have been a smart addition, as UEFA rules state that you need four club-trained players in your European squad.
The Dutch stopper joined Newcastle in 2005 when he was just 17-years-old, and went on to play 185 times for the club.
Krul would leave in 2017, when Rafa Benitez was manager. He had been loaned to Brighton in the summer of 2017, only for the deal to become permanent.
That ended Krul’s 12-year association with Newcastle United.
What Tim Krul previously said about Newcastle return
Given his affinity to the region, you would like to think that Krul would have accepted Newcastle’s offer had one been forthcoming.
Interestingly, Krul actually said in an interview in 2022 that he had expected to return to Tyneside later in life due to his partner being from Newcastle.
While he was still a Norwich City player, Krul said: “I always thought I’d move back to Newcastle because my wife is from there but it’s safe to say we like it here [in Norwich] a lot. You never know in football because anything can happen on a daily basis, but after my career, we will definitely settle here.”
With Newcastle missing out on Europe, a Toon return for Krul in 2024 was not forthcoming.
At 36-years-old, he still plays in England, acting as backup keeper at Luton Town. He has made zero appearances for the Hatters this season.
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